About Initiative approval processes

Every Initiative goes through three approval processes during its life cycle: Initiative creation approval when it is created, Initiative update approval each time its measure data is updated, and the final retirement process when an Initiative has reached its end of life.

Initiative creation approval process

This process begins when an Initiative creator submits an Initiative for review. Until submission, the creator can make any changes to the Initiative. After submission, the creator cannot make changes unless the Initiative owner or sponsor rejects the Initiative back to the creator to fix. For more information on who can make changes to an Initiative and when, see Edit an Initiative.

The creation approval process consists of five general stages:

Step 1: Initiative Creation. The Initiative requestor The user who created the Initiative. This is the same as the Initiative Creator, but the system refers to this person as the Requestor for any Initiative they created. creates an Initiative and then, in the Initiative plan file page, sets up the Initiative, selecting the owner and sponsor. The requestor can also add milestones and measures before submitting the Initiative for review and approval by the Initiative owner. Alternatively, the owner or sponsor can add these items, or add to these items, further along in the approval process.

Step 2: Owner Review. The Initiative owner The user responsible for ensuring that the Initiative is executed and that its measure data and milestone statuses are updated according to schedule. The Initiative owner is also responsible for reviewing the Initiative during the creation approval process. can approve it for sponsor review; or, if the Initiative needs fixing, the owner can reject the Initiative, which sends it back to the requestor. The owner has full access to the Initiative plan file Files for modeling and saving Initiative planning and configuration data. Each Initiative has a unique plan file that is dynamically generated based on a template. page where they can review and edit the Initiative, including adding measures and milestones.

Step 3: Sponsor Review. The Initiative sponsor The user who authorizes Initiatives, including those that are proposed by someone else and those that they propose. The Initiative sponsor does not create Initiatives but instead provides authority for work to be done on Initiatives. The sponsor also reviews and approves Initiatives during various stages in Initiative approval processes. reviews the Initiative and either rejects it back to the owner or approves it for committee review. The sponsor has full access to the Initiative plan file page, and can also edit the Initiative.

Step 4: Committee Approval. Only one Initiative approver A user who can review and approve Initiatives at the Committee Approval stage of the Initiative creation approval process. Approvers must be given the Initiative Approver role by the system administrator. in the committee of Initiative approvers needs to approve or reject the Initiative to move it to the next step. If approved, the Initiative moves to the Active Tracking stage. If rejected, the Initiative moves back to the sponsor. If the approver decides that the Initiative is not going to be used, they can terminate it.

Step 5: Active Tracking. The Initiative has Active Tracking status, which means it is ready to collect measurement data, and the Initiative owner can update the status of its milestones. Initiative owners can also abort an Initiative at this step.

Click the following thumbnail to view the graphic. Click the graphic to close it.

Initiative creation approval process flowchart

Initiative update approval process

This process begins when the Initiative owner updates the Initiative’s measure data for the period and submits the data for review and approval.

The Initiative update approval process starts where the creation approval process ends, with the Initiative in Active Tracking where the Initiative owner can update its measure data and milestone status.

Step 5: Active Tracking. The Initiative owner The user responsible for ensuring that the Initiative is executed and that its measure data and milestone statuses are updated according to schedule. The Initiative owner is also responsible for reviewing the Initiative during the creation approval process. updates measure data, and, if needed, milestone status, and then submits the Initiative for review to the Initiative sponsor. The owner or system administrator can also terminate the Initiative at this stage.

Step 6: Active Review. The Initiative sponsor The user who authorizes Initiatives, including those that are proposed by someone else and those that they propose. The Initiative sponsor does not create Initiatives but instead provides authority for work to be done on Initiatives. The sponsor also reviews and approves Initiatives during various stages in Initiative approval processes. reviews the Initiative measure data and milestone status, comments and then either approves or rejects the update. If the update is rejected, the Initiative reverts to the Active Tracking stage so that the owner can fix what is wrong and then resubmit it to the sponsor for review. If the sponsor approves the update, the Initiative waits in the pending reset queue for the system administrator.

Step 7: Pending Reset. The system administrator either rejects the Initiative if it should not be in the queue for some reason (in which case it will go back to the Active Review stage), or resets the Initiative back to Active Tracking stage.

Click the following thumbnail to view the graphic. Click the graphic to close it.

Initiative update approval process flowchart

Initiative completion process

This process begins with the Initiative owner updating the Initiative measure data for the last period in the Initiative’s life cycle.

Step 5: Active Tracking. The Initiative owner The user responsible for ensuring that the Initiative is executed and that its measure data and milestone statuses are updated according to schedule. The Initiative owner is also responsible for reviewing the Initiative during the creation approval process. updates measure data, and, if needed, milestone status, and then submits the Initiative for review to the Initiative sponsor.

Step 6: Active Review. The Initiative sponsor The user who authorizes Initiatives, including those that are proposed by someone else and those that they propose. The Initiative sponsor does not create Initiatives but instead provides authority for work to be done on Initiatives. The sponsor also reviews and approves Initiatives during various stages in Initiative approval processes. reviews the Initiative data, comments and then either approves or rejects the update. If the update is rejected, the owner fixes what is wrong and then resubmits to the sponsor for review. If the sponsor approves the update and the Initiative’s retirement, it moves to Step 7.

Step 7: Pending Reset. The Initiative owner approves the Initiative as complete, and adds a completion comment.

Click the following thumbnail to view the graphic. Click the graphic to close it.

Initiative completion process flowchart

Initiative approval routing page tasks

You can approve or reject Initiatives on the Initiative approval routing page (to access this page, click the bookmark icon () to the left of a listed Initiative). This page shows you which stage you are on, which stage came before the current one, and which stage the Initiative moves to if you approve or reject it.

Tasks you can perform on this page:

  • To return the Initiative to the previous stage and the person responsible for the Initiative at that stage, click Reject.
  • To advance the Initiative to the next stage, click Approve.
  • To review detailed information about each stage already performed for the Initiative, click the All Process Activity tab.

  • To view the Initiative, in the upper right corner of the page, click the Open Initiative link.

    NOTE: When the Initiative is at Sage 4, Committee Approval, the approvers can only view information in the Summary tab of the Initiative plan file Files for modeling and saving Initiative planning and configuration data. Each Initiative has a unique plan file that is dynamically generated based on a template.. It takes only one approver to approve, reject, or abort the Initiative at Stage 4.

  • If you are an approver for an Initiative at the Committee Approval stage, or an owner at the Active Tracking stage, you can abort the Initiative if it is not going to be used for some reason. Aborted Initiatives can be removed from the Axiom Strategy Management system by a Strategy Management administrator.
See also